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Virtual Field Trip: Careers at Sea with Schmidt Ocean Institute

October 19, 2016, 2pm Eastern

Join EarthEcho International and Schmidt Ocean Institute aboard the Research Vessel (R/V) Falkor as we explore the many different types of jobs that keep a ship like the Falkor running. From scientists, to captains, and cooks, we’ll explore the many ways to have a career on the ocean.

About the current cruise:
The R/V Falkor is currently in the Pacific Ocean studying the Sea-Surface Microlayer and Air-Sea Boundary. It is the first international, multidisciplinary research cruise to increase understanding of the role of the sea surface microlayer (SML). The SML works as a boundary layer between the ocean and atmosphere; and has been widely ignored by past and current research efforts. The science team led by Principal Investigators Dr. Oliver Wurl, Dr. Michael Cunliffe, Prof. Dr. William Landing, and Prof. Dr. Christopher Zappa is interested in the exchange of trace elements and organic compounds at this layer, and will use advance techniques to characterize sea surfaces, creating a new measure for air-sea exchange of climate-relevant gases and heat, and explore the sea surface as habitat for complex microbial communities. A collection of robotic platforms and vehicles, including autonomous aerial and remotely controlled surface will be used to collect data. Scientists will investigate these processes within a framework that incorporates recent understanding of the SML as a unique habitat for microbial communities and the significant role that they play in affecting air-sea interactions. This study has widespread and significant impact on the science of marine biogeochemistry and climate-related processes at a global scale.